bend someone's ear 20956

bend someone's ear
Fig. to talk to someone, perhaps annoyingly. (As if talking so much that the other person's ear is moved back.) Tom is over there, bending Jane's ear about something. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bend your ear for an hour.

you have a number of mouths to feed 20955

you have a number of mouths to feed, you have the responsibility of earning enough money to feed and look after that number of people.

Number Ten = residencia oficial del primer ministro británico (Number Ten Downing Street)20954

Number Ten = residencia oficial del primer ministro británico (Number Ten Downing Street)

'Pennies on the dollar' 20953

'Pennies on the dollar'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If something is pennies on the dollar, it's much cheaper than it cost originally.

with good grace 20952

with good grace
In a willing manner.

be in a (blue) funk 20951

be in a (blue) funk
to be very worried or unhappy about something He's been in a real funk since she left him.

be in a stew 20950

be in a stew (old-fashioned)
to be worried and confused about something She was in a stew over the party arrangements.

to be browned off = be bored, fed up 20949

to be browned off = be bored, fed up.
He's browned off with his job.

eyes like a hawk If someone has eyes like a hawk, they have very good eyesight and they notice everything 20948

eyes like a hawk If someone has eyes like a hawk, they have very good eyesight and they notice everything

'Even the dogs in the street know 20947

'Even the dogs in the street know'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This idiom is used frequently in Ireland, and means something is so obvious that even the dogs in the street know it.

think piece 20946

think piece] {n.}, {slang}
1. The human brain.


/Lou's got one powerful think piece, man./
2. Any provocative essay or article that, by stating a strong opinion, arouses the reader to think about it and react to it by agreeing or disagreeing.

/That article by Charles Fenyvesi on Vietnamese refugees in the Washington Post sure was a think piece!/

get gray hair 20945

get gray hair] or [get gray] {v. phr.}, {informal}
To become old or gray from worrying; become very anxious or worried. — Often used with "over".


/"If John doesn't join the team, I won't get gray hair over it," the coach said./
/Naughty children are why mothers get gray./

[call on the carpetrson) before an authority (as a boss or teacher) for a scolding or reprimand.20944

[call on the carpet] {v. phr.}, {informal} To call (a person) before an authority (as a boss or teacher) for a scolding or reprimand.

/The worker was called on the carpet by the boss for sleeping on the job./
/The principal called Tom on the carpet and warned him to stop coming to school late./

Tin Pan Alley 20943

Tin Pan Alley] {n. phr.}
The pop music industry.


/What kind of music will Tin Pan Alley come up with this year?/

Christmas club 20942

Christmas club] {n.}
A plan for putting money in the bank to be saved for Christmas shopping.


/John deposits $10 each week in the Christmas club./
/The woman will get her Christmas club money on December 10./

bubble gum music 20941

bubble gum music] {n.}, {slang} The kind of rock'n'roll that appeals to young teenagers

blaze a trai 20940

blaze a trail[blaze a trail] {v. phr.} 1. To cut marks in trees in order to guide ...

chum around with 20939

chum around with] {v. phr.}
1. To be close friends with someone.


/They have been chumming around with one another for quite some time./
2. To travel around with someone.

/Jack is planning to chum around with Tim in Europe this summer./

brown study 20938

brown study] {n. phr.}
A time of deep thought about something; a deep thoughtful mood

these things are sent to try us 20937

these things are sent to try us

- some difficulties appear in order to test our courage or patience

The woman had very strong religious beliefs and although she faced many difficulties, she believed that those things were sent to try her and she continued on

bow and scrape 20936

bow and scrape] {v.}
To be too polite or obedient from fear or hope of gain; act like a slave.


/The old servant bowed and scraped before them, too obedient and eager to please

newshawk 20935

newshawk
[newshawk] {n.}
A newspaper reporter.

/There are always a lot of newshawks following the president./

labor under 20934

labor under
[labor under] {v. phr.}
To be the victim of; suffer from.

/Ken is obviously laboring under the delusion that Jennifer will marry him out of love

paddy wagon 20933

paddy wagon
[paddy wagon] {n.}, {informal}
A police van used for transporting prisoners to jail or the police station

far gone 20932

He was so far gone by the time the doctor arrived, that nothing could be done to save his life

cut to the quick 20931

To hurt someone's feelings deeply.


/The children 's teasing cut Mary to the quick

rash 1 (rsh)20930

rash 1 (rsh)
adj. rash·er, rash·est
1. Characterized by or resulting from ill-considered haste or boldness. See Synonyms at reckless.
2. Archaic Quick in producing a strong or marked effect.

make merry 2929

make merry] {v. phr.}, {literary}
To have fun, laugh, and be happy.


/In Aesop's fable the grasshopper made merry while the ant worked and saved up food./
/In the Bible story a rich man ate and drank and

1: being about to appear or to be produced or made available 2928

1: being about to appear or to be produced or made available

up the ante and raise the ante 20927

up the ante and raise the ante
1. Fig. to raise the opening stakes in a betting game. Pete upped the ante on that the poker game to $100 per hand. Don't up the ante any more. You're betting far too much money already.
2. Fig. to increase a price. (Fig. on {2}.) Sensing how keen the people looking at the house were, Jerry upped the ante another

took the words right out of my mouth 20926

took the words right out of my mouth.
Inf. Fig. You said exactly what I meant to say before I had a chance to say it, and, therefore, I agree with you very much. Bill: I think she's old enough to know better. Tom: You took the words right out of my mouth. Mary: This movie is going to put me to sleep. Jane (yawning): You took the words right out of my mouth.

I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it.Groucho Marx 20925

I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it.Groucho Marx

morning wood 20924

morning wood 2163 up, 128 down
buy morning wood mugs, tshirts and magnetsA morning erection that is naturally caused as the brains enters the REM-deep sleep phase. At this stage, the body's skeletal muscle structure relaxes and causes hypervasodilation in the capillaries of the body, resulting in said erection.
After sleeping so soundly and having a great night's rest, it is no surprise to wake up with an erection.

caveat 20923

ca·ve·at (kv-ät, käv-, kv-t)
n.
1.
a. A warning or caution: "A final caveat: Most experts feel that clients get unsatisfactory results when they don't specify clearly what they want" (Savvy).
b. A qualification or explanation.
2. Law A formal notice filed by an interested party with a court or officer, requesting the postponement of a proceeding until the filer is heard.
v. ca·ve·at·ed or ca·ve·at·ted, ca·ve·at·ing or ca·ve·at·ting, ca·ve·ats
v.intr. Law
To enter a caveat.
v.tr. Informal
To qualify with a warning or clarification: The spokesperson caveated the statement with a reminder that certain facts were still unknown.

in the chips 20922

in the chips

Fig. wealthy; having lots of money. (Having lots of gambling chips.) I'm in the chips this month. Let's go squander it. If I were in the chips, I'd buy a Rolls Royce.

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the trap’s cheese 20921

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the trap’s cheese

o·ver·all 20920

o·ver·all (vr-ôl)
adj.
1. From one end to the other: the overall length of the house.
2. Including everything; comprehensive: the overall costs of medical care.
3. Regarded as a whole; general: My overall impression was favorable.
adv.
(vr-ôl) On the whole; generally: enjoyed the performance overall.
n.
1. Chiefly British A loose-fitting protective outer garment; a smock.
2. overalls Loose-fitting trousers, usually of strong fabric, with a bib front and shoulder straps, often worn over regular clothing as protection from dirt.

His attitude hinders progress 20918

His attitude hinders progress, Su actitud imposibilita el progreso.

lantern 20917

An often portable case with transparent or translucent sides for holding and protecting a light.
A decorative casing for a light, often of paper.
A light and its protective or decorative case.

The room at the top of a lighthouse where the light is located.
Obsolete. A lighthouse.
A structure built on top of a roof or dome with open or windowed walls to admit light and air

Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician 20916

Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician

Marriage changes passion; suddenly you’re in bed with a relative! 20915

Marriage changes passion; suddenly you’re in bed with a relative!

A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory 20914

A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory

narrow something down (to people or things)20913

narrow something down (to people or things)
to reduce a list of possibilities from many to a selected few. We can narrow the choice down to green or red. We narrowed down the choice to you or Paul.

adrenaline rush 20912

adrenaline rush
subidon adrenalina

Split Down The Middle ( the results are exactly the same on both sides 20911

Split Down The Middle ( the results are exactly the same on both sides ... )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"split down the middle

be ten/two a penny 20910

be ten/two a penny (British & Australian)
to be very common TV cookery shows seem to be ten a penny these days

pack a punch (informal)20909

pack a punch (informal)
if someone can pack a punch, they can hit very hard when they are fighting He's a big guy - I should imagine he can pack a fair punch

mask something out 20908

mask something out
to conceal or cover part of something from view. The trees masked the city dump out, so it could not be seen from the street. The trees masked out the dump.

'Wag the dog' 20907

'Wag the dog'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To 'wag the dog' means to purposely divert attention from what would otherwise be of greater importance, to something else of lesser significance. By doing so, the lesser-significant event is catapulted into the limelight, drowning proper attention to what was originally the more important issue.
The expression comes from the saying that 'a dog is smarter than its tail', but if the tail were smarter, then the tail would 'wag the dog'. The expression 'wag the dog' was elaborately used as theme of the movie. 'Wag the Dog', a 1997 film starring Robert de Niro and Dustin Hoffman, produced and directed by Barry Levinson.

Disney has the best casting. If he doesn't like an actor he just tears him up.20906

Disney has the best casting. If he doesn't like an actor he just tears him up.
Alfred Hitchcock


Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/alfred_hitchcock.html#ixzz17Pn0La9w

Left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing 2090

Left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing
If the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, then communication within a company, organisation, group, etc, is so bad that people don't know what the others are doing.

strapped for cash 20904

strapped for cash

- to have little or no money available

I am strapped for cash at the moment so I will not be able to go on a holiday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D7wStbbY1s

Don't let schooling interfere with your education 20903

Don't let schooling interfere with your education.
Mark Twain


Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mark_twain_2.html#ixzz17LXOHgye

Idiom Definitions for 'Damp squib' 20902

Idiom Definitions for 'Damp squib'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If something is expected to have a great effect or impact but doesn't, it is a damp squib.

With a run-of-the-mill story line and lackluster performance of the entire star cast, the film proves a damp squib


Civil society groups have warned that the proposed new constitution could turn out to be damp squib

be like watching grass grow (humorous) also be as 20901 interesting as watching grass grow (humorous)

be like watching grass grow (humorous) also be as interesting as watching grass grow (humorous)
if you say that watching an activity is like watching grass grow, you mean that it is very boring To watch somebody fly-fishing is like watching grass grow.

'Recipe for disaster' 20900

'Recipe for disaster'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A recipe for disaster is a mixture of people and events that could only possibly result in trouble.